PARIS -- She's produced dozens of films by directors such as Polanski and Kusturica, or Blier and Tavernier.
"Vera Drake," Berlin Golden Bear winner in 2004, is another of her credits (as exec producer).
Yet vet producer Christine Gozlan is virtually unknown outside French film circles.
That's because she spent most of her career in the shadow of her better-known boss, producer Alain Sarde, first with his production shingle Sara Films and later running Les Films Alain Sarde, the Studio Canal film unit he headed.
For several years the solidly financed and prolific shingle was the envy of the French film industry, accused of pricing less-well-off players out of the market by its policy of paying top dollar for talent.
"There was a lot of jealousy and spite towards us," recalls Gozlan.
After churning out roughly 100 films, including Cannes Palme d'Or winners "Mulholland Drive" and "The Pianist," the subsid was absorbed by Studio Canal in 2004 amid accusations it had squandered millions on films that didn't stand a chance of recouping.
Sarde was only following Canal Plus Group orders, Gozlan maintains.
"It was an exceptional situation. We were being paid to make as many films as possible to feed the pipeline, and that's what we did," asserts the now independent Gozlan, adding: "I often felt that I was spreading myself too thinly."
After the break-up with Studio Canal, Sarde didn't want the responsibility of his own indie production company, and Gozlan was left with the choice of working as an executive producer on a film-by-film basis for others, or creating her own company.
She opted for the latter, singlehandedly founding Thelma Films a month after the closure of Les Films Alain Sarde.
Thanks to her extensive connections with French talent, it wasn't long before Gozlan had several projects ongoing. When Pathe put helmer Danielle Thompson's ensembler "Orchestra Seats" into turnaround, despite an offer from Gallic film group UGC, Thompson opted instead to take the indie route with Gozlan, with whom she had worked on her first film, "La Buche."
Studio Canal's theatrical distribution arm Mars Films will release "Orchestra Seats" next month.
Gozlan's credits will be on another three French movies this year, "Le Passager de l'ete," a love story set in rural France that was helmed by Florence Gabin, the daughter of Gallic screen idol Jean Gabin; "La Californie," vet scribe Jacques Fieschi's directing debut, starring Nathalie Baye; and "President," a "West Wing"-style political drama starring Albert Dupontel and helmed by Lionel Delplanque.
Among future projects, Gozlan and fellow producer Alain Terzian (with whom she co-produced "Le Passager") are developing "Les Inities," a big budget cop action-comedy to be helmed by Vincent de Bruz. Gozlan and Lise Fayolle will co-produce "Valentin, Valentine," a romantic comedy with Carole Bouquet.
Les Films Alain Sarde is fast receding into the past.
"I've never felt freer," says Gozlan. "Being independent is risky. But it's liberating."
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